CVE-2012-2984 in Content Gateway
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in monitor/m_overview.ink in Websense Content Gateway before 7.7.3 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) menu or (2) item parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/04/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-2984 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness within the Websense Content Gateway software, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.7.3. This issue resides in the monitor/m_overview.ink component which serves as a monitoring interface for content gateway operations. The vulnerability manifests through two distinct attack vectors that exploit the application's failure to properly sanitize user input parameters. Attackers can leverage these weaknesses to inject malicious scripts into the web interface through either the menu or item parameters, creating a persistent threat vector that affects legitimate users interacting with the monitoring system.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms within the Websense Content Gateway's monitoring interface. When the application processes the menu and item parameters without proper sanitization, it fails to neutralize potentially malicious content that could contain script tags or other HTML elements. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79, which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is incorporated into web page content without proper validation or encoding. The attack occurs at the application layer where user-supplied parameters are directly rendered in the browser context without adequate security controls, making it susceptible to script injection attacks that can execute in the context of authenticated users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script injection, creating a significant security risk for organizations relying on Websense Content Gateway for content filtering and monitoring. An attacker with remote access capabilities can exploit these XSS vulnerabilities to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users, or redirect victims to malicious websites. The monitoring interface typically requires elevated privileges, meaning that successful exploitation could provide attackers with access to sensitive administrative functions and potentially allow them to manipulate content filtering policies. This vulnerability undermines the security posture of the entire content gateway system, as it allows attackers to compromise the monitoring capabilities that are essential for network security operations.
Organizations affected by CVE-2012-2984 should immediately implement mitigation strategies including upgrading to Websense Content Gateway version 7.7.3 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the XSS vulnerabilities. Additional defensive measures should include implementing proper input validation at the application level, enforcing strict output encoding for all user-supplied data, and deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter suspicious traffic patterns. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers the use of web application vulnerabilities for initial access and privilege escalation. Security teams should conduct thorough penetration testing to identify any additional vectors that may have been exploited and establish monitoring procedures to detect potential exploitation attempts. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it is crucial to review access controls and authentication mechanisms to ensure that only authorized personnel can access the monitoring interface and that proper audit trails are maintained for all administrative activities.